PADUCAH, Ky.
Local hurt in a fatal crash
For the second time in just over a month, a fatal crash has occurred around the Interstate 24 construction zone at the Ohio River bridge, according to metropolis planet.com.
Paducah police were called at 9:47 a.m. Sunday to the westbound lanes of Interstate 24 near Exit 3. According to reports, Narinder Kumar, 32, of Glen Oak, N.Y., was driving a 2022 KW Dart tractor-trailer rig, owned by KM Georgia Trucking of Johns Creek, Ga., west on the interstate. When he saw traffic stopped, he was unable to stop in time to avoid the collision.
Kumar’s truck hit the rear of a 2013 Toyota Highlander driven by Michelle Wren, 38, of Franklin, Tenn., causing it to overturn. Wren was injured, while her 4-year-old daughter, Emery, was pronounced dead a short time later at Baptist Health Paducah by McCracken County Coroner Amanda Melton. Wren’s other two children sustained “possible injuries,” according to the collision report.
Kumar’s truck then proceeded to hit seven other vehicles, including a 2020 Toyota Tacoma driven by William H. Brown, 54, of Murphy, N.C., before coming to rest against the cable barrier in the median. Brown and four others were taken to Mercy Health Lourdes Hospital or Baptist Health Baptist for treatment.
Paducah Police chief Brian Laird said the ongoing construction on the Ohio River bridge is a contributing factor in the area’s collisions, metropolis planet.com reported.
WASHINGTON
DEA betters rural access
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration last week announced an important step to improve access to medications for opioid use disorder, especially in rural areas where those suffering with opioid use disorder may have limited treatment options.
Under the final rule published last week, DEA registrants who are authorized to dispense methadone for opioid use disorder would be authorized to add a “mobile component” to their existing registration – eliminating the separate registration requirement for these mobile narcotic treatment programs, according to a release.
This will streamline the registration process and make it easier for registrants to provide needed services in remote or underserved areas.
From staff reports.